Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has announced a comprehensive 'Population Management Policy' to address the state's declining fertility rate and future demographic challenges. The policy focuses on 'population care' rather than traditional family planning, with a goal of increasing the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) from 1.5 to 2.1.
The policy aims to support women at every stage of life, from pregnancy to old age, and assist couples facing fertility issues. It includes incentives such as ₹25,000 at the time of birth for couples having a second or third child, and free education up to the age of 18 years for all children.
The government is also considering 10 months maternity leave and two months paternity leave. The policy will adopt a five-stage life-cycle approach to population management, built on five key pillars: Maatrutvam (motherhood), Shakti (empowerment), Kshema (wellbeing), Naipunyam (skills), and Sanjeevani (health care).
The draft policy will be uploaded online for public feedback, and the government plans to finalize it by the end of this month and implement it from April 1.
